Do You Embrace A Touch Screen With Your DAW?

[machinesworking]

I think what happened was that a number of OEMs came out with way underpowered Windows tablets when Windows 8 was around and because everyone hated Windows 8 (for no reason), they were unsuccessful and so everyone stopped making them. These days the main touch experience people would have is from a laptop on a desk and that's not really where touch shines. I do agree that it is a hugely under-rated feature of Windows 11 but that's because Microsoft have never really tried to push it, so most people wouldn't even think to try it. I only realised how good it was when I bought an Asus 2-in-1 a couple of years ago. Even then, if I hadn't gone away for the weekend with it and left the keyboard at home, I might never have realised how good it was.

Plus I think most touch screens aren't clear on proper angles for optimum use?

I dunno, Microsoft seemed to be responsive with the kickstand on the Surface Pro. It went quite quickly from a choice of two positions to being continuously variable, with a clear emphasis on it being as close to horizontal as they could make it.

Yeah that's my conclusion too, too many OEMs making subpar touch screens that don't give you the benefits. I'm always about saving space, and I like the Mackie Control I had, but it took up far too much room, and my main monitor was starting to act like it was dying so I bought the Raven. Two in one. I thought I would just be using it for faders, but if a plugin is designed to any degree with touch in mind, it's just great for designing sounds without having to set some MIDI on repeat, since you can do it with two hands, instead of needing three, or pausing, or midi looping something. I would think gestures are a thing with tablets too? That make for less wrist strain doing those gestures in various positions VS a trackpad every time.

[audiojunkie]

I use touchscreen with my 2-in1 Laptop, using Linux. I'm like Bones though. I use the touch screen when I'm out and about, but when I'm docked, I use what's best, which includes actual midi keyboard controllers and such. You use whatever works best for you, wherever you are. That's also why I prefer laptops over desktops--I'm more mobile and prefer to have my system with me, and also, I am not rich and choose not to buy separate devices when a single device does all that I need.

[harddaysnight]

Nah, I hate touch-screens on laptops like the 2-in-1 types, sometimes I use the iPad as a second (or third) monitor for music but I don't use the touch screen while making music. I also don't use my iPhone while making music.

So, it's a no from me.

I'd consider using one if I could get the iPad to work exclusively as a track pad/mouse, so I could use an Apple Pencil and the iPad to replace my mouse. That'd be cool for drawing things in and I think I'd be fast af using that but I can't seem to get it to work this way properly.

[jancivil]

All I had was an iPad for a time, and I came to really hate touchscreen to do everything. I had plans for years to use it as a controller but I don't think it's that well engineered. in any case it seemed ultra-sensitive in ways that irritated TF out of me except when it seemed to be the opposite. About 9 mos ago it stopped working, probably because something made the power cable crap out. and I haven't quite felt like buying a replacement to see if it's that. I've used Apple for 18 yrs but I am not a fan of the company.

[BONES]

I'm the same with Microsoft, they have f**ked me over, big time, twice - when they flushed Zune down the toilet and again when they did the same to Windows Phone - but Windows is the best of a bunch of shitty OS options, so that's what I use.

EDIT: I've thought of another one. I pre-ordered a new Surface Book which turned out to be the second worst laptop I've ever owned. They had to replace it after about 9 months when the detachable screen section would only half-detach. I got the replacement and put it straight up on eBay. I've had a couple of ex-lease Surface Pros that have been OK but I'd never buy a new computer from those pricks again.

[BBFG#]

I still use my Zune.

[BONES]

I reckon ZuneHD is one of the greatest pieces of industrial design of all time. The way it feels in your hand is almost obscene. Mine still holds a charge but my computer no longer recognises it, so I can't load new music onto it. I have no idea if that's the fault of the Zune HD or if Microsoft have removed support for those devices. I think it probably just needs a good clean-out but I never get around to finding someone to do it. I've got a box of spare parts, including a replacement screen, as I once intended to keep it running forever.

It was the ecosystem I really loved, not just the device. It's the closest thing I've experienced to that of a real CD or vinyl collection. I bought the media dock for it so I could project it onto my telly and read band bios and reviews while I listened to an album or look at the plethora of band photos they provided for most artists. Or sometimes I'd just sit there, mesmerised by the cool screensavers it would create. What was really good about all that was that it auto-populated whenever it was connected to Wi-Fi, so it was a real "surprise and delight" kinda thing. I also loved the software's screensaver, the massive montage of ever-changing album covers from your collection. It was clearly something developed by people who really love music.

All that's done and dusted now. Even if you can still add new music to the device, the rest of the ecosystem has long gone. And the really stupid part of all of it is that they had a huge head-start on everyone else when it came to streaming. Zune Pass pre-dates Spotify by several years and offered way better value. They could easily have owned the streaming market but they pulled the plug just as it was taking off. Dickheads!

[machinesworking]

Nah, I hate touch-screens on laptops like the 2-in-1 types, sometimes I use the iPad as a second (or third) monitor for music but I don't use the touch screen while making music. I also don't use my iPhone while making music.

So, it's a no from me.

I'd consider using one if I could get the iPad to work exclusively as a track pad/mouse, so I could use an Apple Pencil and the iPad to replace my mouse. That'd be cool for drawing things in and I think I'd be fast af using that but I can't seem to get it to work this way properly.

I almost exclusively use the iPad for Metagrid, a touch key shortcut app. I have every quantize setting mapped, and a couple hundred commands set up in a way that makes sense to me. Same with the iPhone, my DAW DP uses the extended keyboards number pad for transport controls, and metronome, overdub, count in, cycle etc. NumPad is an iOS app for the phone that allows you to customize the icons so they all look like the tools they are, and I have bluetooth wireless remote.

I do have a cc7 fader in Metagrid on the iPad, but mostly I use it for keyboard shortcuts that you only use every other day that you'll never remember, better than menu diving.

[Kalamata Kid]

See my signature for the multi-touch monitor setup.

For the time being I have a multi-touch monitor which will be used as a midi keyboard.
Xotopad: http://feelyoursound.com/xotopad/

If the MT screen is not being used as a Keyboard I use it to play with my plugins.
For me I use the MT screen very little on a DAW.
In an case I mix the multi touch and mouse usage.

I also have an iPad and use the iConnect midi device to connect to the DAW.
I use only midi apps on the iPad to connect to plugins in the PC.

[Tj Shredder]

I just wonder if an Erae Touch qualifies as touch screen…
Or an iPad, that can be configured as such…

[Kalamata Kid]

I generally use multi-touch monitor to refer to a computer monitor that has multi-touch capability.
But sometimes do not follow this rule.
In my case the monitor is connected to the PC and it is multi-touch.
But then there are laptops that have a multi-touch surface or monitor.

The iPad and the Erae are not a multi-touch monitors.
I would say they have a touch surface or more descriptive have a multi-touch surface.

Sorry, tried but failed to answer your question.
Perhaps someone can do better.

[Z3R0T0N1N]

…
I'd consider using one if I could get the iPad to work exclusively as a track pad/mouse, so I could use an Apple Pencil and the iPad to replace my mouse. That'd be cool for drawing things in and I think I'd be fast af using that but I can't seem to get it to work this way properly.

Wow, that is a really cool idea!
I use fl studio and they have an app called fl remote or something but I’ve never tried it. Maybe I should give it a try.
I guess I needed someone else to give me a use case scenario.

[BONES]

I'd consider using one if I could get the iPad to work exclusively as a track pad/mouse, so I could use an Apple Pencil and the iPad to replace my mouse.

Wacom have been making such things for decades.

I just wonder if an Erae Touch qualifies as touch screen…
Or an iPad, that can be configured as such…

Not really, it may have some of the features of a touchscreen but it is a very different beast. And you can hit it with drumsticks - try doing that to an iPad.

[harddaysnight]

I'd consider using one if I could get the iPad to work exclusively as a track pad/mouse, so I could use an Apple Pencil and the iPad to replace my mouse.

Wacom have been making such things for decades.

Is a Wacom device literally my iPad that I already own?

[Nathanananan]

I dont like touch screen for anything. I dont even like them for phones, in fact I hate them for phones. I would walk around with an old Cisco phone if they where mobile. I dont even care how big those phones are I would carry it in a back pack or tie it to my waist with duct tape and rope.

I used to have an Ipad and I tried all the bs apps that integrated with the daw and I didn't like anything about it. Honestly I dont even like DAWS maybe its my age im 45, but I dont care. I do not give a single shit about new tech. I only use it because I have to. f**k plug ins, f**k touch screen, f**k the phone, f**k daws, f**k virtual drummers, f**k AI, f**k every thing except being a hermit with old tech.